Saint Monica

Saint Monica (332-387) was an early Christian saint and the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. She was famous for enduring the suffering caused by her husband's infidelity, and for weeping for her son every night.

Biography
Monica was born in Thagaste, Africa, Roman Empire (now Souk Ahras, Algeria) to a Christian Berber family. She married a pagan Roman official early in her life, and she was abused by her husband, who disapproved of her religion, and who would cheat on her. She grieved heavily when her son Augustine fell ill, and she convinced her husband to allow for Augustine to be baptized, although her husband withdrew this consent when the boy recovered. She drove her son away from her table after he converted to Manichaeism at Carthage, and she later followed her son to Rome and to Milan after her son secretly left for Italy. In Milan, she found Ambrose, and she ultimately had the joy of seeing her son convert to Christianity after 17 years of resistance. Mother and son spent half a year in true peace at Rus Cassiciacum (Cassago Brianza), after which Augustine was baptized. They decided to return to Africa, but Monica died when the two of them stopped at Ostia during their journey home. The city of Santa Monica, California is named for her.